Virgin Bet to host first-ever Women’s Day at Ayr Racecourse
Virgin Bet to celebrate women in horseracing as operator partners with charities and presenter Natalie Pike to launch activation
Virgin Bet is set to host its first-ever Women’s Day at Ayr Racecourse as part of the LiveScore Group operator’s new brand campaign, ‘A Good Bet’.
The event, which will take place on Saturday 9 March, will see Virgin Bet put female participation in the sport at the forefront of proceedings.
As one of the first launches as part of the new ‘A Good Bet’ campaign, Virgin Bet said the new approach was designed to “knock down pre-existing barriers within sports and culture at large”.
The day’s racing will also include activations hosted by presenter Natalie Pike, featuring panels with Scottish Racing CEO Delly Innes and jockey Charlotte Jones.
Speaking about her role on the day, Pike said: “I’ve loved being a part of creating this project with the teams at Virgin Bet and Ayr Racecourse and hope it can inspire the next generation of incredible women working in horseracing.
“Sport is for everyone, and activations such as this are crucial to ensuring inclusivity and safety for women at events, and ultimately heroing the brilliant people who work in the sport.”
The day, which will raise funds for Ayr Racecourse’s charity partner, Ayrshire Cancer Support, will also see Virgin Bet partner with WalkSafe, an app developed to give women confidence and support when walking alone.
Ric Leask, Virgin Bet marketing director, commented: “There are many incredible women involved in making horseracing the spectacle that it is, and for too long, their role has arguably gone uncelebrated and un-thanked.
“At Virgin Bet, as part of our ‘A Good Bet’ brand campaign, we want to make sport more accessible and to highlight brilliance, no matter who the subject, and this initiative is doing exactly that.”
Lindsey Smith, Ayr Racecourse marketing manager, continued: “It’s fantastic to host Virgin Bet’s inaugural Women’s Day activity and our racecourse, and from minute one, we have wanted to back this campaign with everything we have.
“We are so proud to work with, host, and pay respect to an incredible array of women within this beautiful sport, and this work will go a long way to bringing attention to these excellent people.”